An Incident Aboard the REINA MERCEDES

General:

On June 3, 1898, Naval Constructor Richmond
Hobson attempted to run the old collier U.S.S.
MERRIMAC into the narrow channel leading out of Santiago Harbor in
an effort to block the channel. The loss of the steering gear to enemy
fire as the ship entered the channel rendered the attempt a failure. Later,
after the U.S. naval victory at Santiago, the
Spanish attempt to do the same thing with the REINA
MERCEDES, this time in an attempt to keep the U.S. vessels from entering
the harbor. This effort, too, was a failure because of the loss of an anchor
line to enemy fire.

When Hobson's attempt failed, he and his
volunteer crew were picked up by the Spanish Admiral
Cervera. They were taken, in a twist of irony, to the REINA
MERCEDES. The following Hobson's account of part of their incarceration.

The Account:

"....The men having gone forward, the [Spanish] executive officer
invited me to his state-room, had a bath prepared for me and clothing of
his own set out, and invited me to come into the ward-room, when ready,
and join him for breakfast. The oil and fine coal that had come to the
surface [in the night following the sinking of the U.S.S.
MERRIMAC as Hobson and his crew floated near
the wreck] had had full chance to permeate and made heavy bath-work, while
the executive officer's civilian clothing, made for a different build,
was of questionable fit. But the difficulties due to excess girth secured
the return of my sword-belt when it had been dried out.

Special full dress, however, could not have brought out a whit more
courteous and cordial treatment. After a hearty hand-shake of congratulations,
and repeated kind words, the executive officer, with thoughtful reference
to our exposure, ordered stimulants. I told him, however, that I was in
good shape, none the worse off, and that the breakfast coffee ...would
be sufficient. He gave me his card: 'Emilio J. de Acosta y Eyermann, Capitan
de Fragata', adding in pencil: '2nd Comandante del Cruc REINA
MERCEDES'. ......While eating, we fell into frank and general conversation,
all the officers except one having finished breakfast. Captain Acosta gallantly
opened the conversation by saying that there was no reason why officers
engaged in honorable warfare, though opposing to their utmost in battle,
might not be the best of friends. He went on describe how he himself had
directed the fire of two heavy guns against the entering vessel, though
a large part of his crew were absent manning guns that had been put ashore,
and how he had finally sunk her by two Whitehead torpedoes
from his bow tubes, remarking that the mines fired at us seemed to have
missed, going astern...."

[At this point, Acosta asked Hobson about
the armament of his vessel. Hobson, believing
he was referring to the NEW YORK, the vessel
Hobson
had been assigned to, gave him the listing of NEW
YORK's armament, reminding Acosta that this information was readily
available in any of the navy annuals listing all ships worldwide, and which
both navies carried aboard their vessels. Suddenly, Hobson
realized that Acosta was referring to the MERRIMAC,
which had no guns at all. Acosta had not yet realized that Hobson was trying
to block the channel, not run into the harbor and attack the Spanish
fleet. Hobson explained this to Acosta.] "...He
seemed utterly incredulous. The same was met with in the case of the other
Spanish oficers. The explosions of their own projectiles must have been
taken for the firing of guns on board the MERRIMAC.
Some went so far as to locate two heavy turrets with two guns each, one
forward, one aft, and a battery of rapid-fire guns amidships. Apparently
the facts were only accepted after information from the outside... [was
received]."

(The Spanish actually lost men in the engagement. They were the victims
of "friendly fire". Sadly, the gallant Capitan de Acosta y Eyermann was
killed in a later attack on the REINA MERCEDES.)

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